COAL STRIKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17328, 17 November 1916, Page 5

COAL STRIKE.

BOTH SIDES INACTIVE. SYDNEY GAS GIVING OUT. By T«l«er»ph.—Pre«» A««oci»tlon.—-Copyright. SYDNEY, November 10. The Gas Company is only able to supply the city for another week. A proposal to declare all coal "black" has been deferred. Meanwhile both sides are inactive, pending the result of a compulsory conference. , TILE CONFERENCE. , ' MINERS STAND FIRM. PROPRIETORS' REQUESTS. (Received November 16, 10.45 p.m.) M3ELBOURNE, November 16. Mr Hughes, addressing the Coal Conference, said that unless it got coal the small arms factory would\close ori Saturday. Only eight hundred tons of ooal were available for tho transports and wheat ships which were due. Without wheat the war could not continue. The minors' representatives repeated their demands, declaring that they were locked out. The proprietors said that precedent to a settlement all men should resume work at the same time.

MR HUGHES'S PROPOSAL.

(Received November 17, 1.25 a.m.) MELBOURNE, November 16.

At the coal conference, after a lengthy. Vliscussion, Mr Hughes proposed that the men should be recommended to resume immediately on condition that the Arbitration Court or a special tribunal should hear the case as soon as work is resumed, presumably on Monday. Tho conference adjourned until to-morrow to allow the parties to consider tbe proposal.